Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gifted President Donald Trump a gold pager on Tuesday, in a nod to the deadly attacks on Hezbollah operatives last year (Israel Communications Office)
Washington, February 7 (RHC)-- U.S. President Donald Trump received a gold pager from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the White House on Tuesday — a nod to the deadly attack on Hezbollah operatives last year that also killed children and health workers.
Trump received the gift from Netanyahu on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports, the same day he claimed the U.S. planned to “take Gaza.” Accepting the gift, Trump replied: “It was a major operation,” an unnamed Israeli official told AP.
Last September, Israeli officials orchestrated an operation to blow up thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon and Syria over two days.
The attacks left 39 dead and more than 3,400 injured, according to Reuters. Among the dead were two young children — an eight-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy — and four health workers, the BBC reported.
CBS News reported that the attacks were orchestrated by Israel's Mossad spy agency, and Netanyahu's spokesman confirmed in December that the prime minister gave the green light to the beeper operation. The devices were covertly sold to Hezbollah for many years, the outlet reported.
Israeli officials briefed the U.S. after the attack, according to PBS News.
In return, Trump gave Netanyahu a signed photograph of the two, according to an Instagram photo posted by the Israeli prime minister's son, Yair. “To Bibi, a great leader!” Trump’s signature read.
Netanyahu was the first foreign leader invited to the White House since Trump’s second term began. During their meeting, Trump said the U.S. “will take control of the Gaza Strip,” prompting immediate backlash from lawmakers and world leaders.
Saudi Arabia said it “unequivocally rejected” the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Palestinians “must be allowed to go home.” French and German officials also said any such displacement of Palestinians would violate international law.
Al Green, a Democratic representative from Texas in the U.S. Congress, even said he plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Trump over the comments.
[ SOURCE: THE INDEPENDENT ]
